Of Mice And Preds
by storytellers
Summary: Written about 3 years ago by me and Syntia. About time we got it up here. A Rattrap romance. How one night in a bar can turn a bot's life and maybe a whole war around. Not slash, Dinobot's in it but just as a friend : .
1. Chapter 1

_**Authors' notes:**_

I'm speaking for the both of us since Syntia has just fallen on her face and won't get up again for some time. Making last minute updates the day before the deadline does that to you. Being the better author of the two does that to you too. *Bows deeply to Syntia*

So, this is the joined effort of two people convinced they CANNOT write romance to write exactly that. Trying something new is a fantastic experience, especially when you're sharing it with a friend :D. We tried not to make it very soppy and keep Astera from becoming TOO MUCH of a Mary-Sue. We would be REALLY happy if you would share your opinion with us! :DDDDDDD

Oh, and watch out for two very soppy Dinobot oriented (but not including Dinobot) deleted scenes after the fic ends. They're from the special DVD edition ;PPPPPPPPPPPPP

_**Thanks goes to:**_

Sapphire and Miss Special for setting up the challenge in the first place.

My friend Nadya for being really supportive trough all of my whining, reminding me what my name was when I got too confused to remember it and helping me think.

The characters. For not running away from the things we did to them. ;P.

Anyone who decides to read this 3.

And, of course, each other (that means Syntia and Rainynight) for having so much fun with this thing.

_**Well, without further ado…**_

_**Of Mice and Preds**_

**By:****Rainynight** and Syntia13

There are no sounds in space, and therefore the two missiles that were to tore them apart were just a deceptively silent traces on the "Stardancer's" radar. Two pairs of optics watched them in silent horror. The third pair of optics was locked on energy readings, one of the bot's hands dancing over the controls, trying to hasten the launch procedure, the other gripping the warp engine lever.  
"Flint..." the voice was strained, and it had the right to be. The beeps on the screen were almost in the center now, and the speaker had more than one spark to worry about.

--**TRANSWARP SYSTEM READY**--

flashed the message, the same moment the alarms went off.  
"Shouldn't have taken the job," the pilot hissed, jerking the lever all the way back.  
The roar of engines and the bang of exploding missiles were only heard on the small ship, and when it disappeared, the space was silent again.

______________________________

The CR chamber hissed open and a very disoriented female robot took a hesitant step forward. Immediately, something big and black fluttered across the room and hit her chest.

"Mom! Are you all right?"

Astera stared down at the creature. A pair of huge black eyes, situated beneath twice as huge black ears stared back at her. After a nano of stunned silence its brow furrowed.

"Mom, it's me!"

Her optics widened.

"Speedster?"

"Yeah. This is my new best mode!"

"It's called 'BEAST mode'." someone corrected.

Astera looked up startled. The words belonged to a huge green robot.

She must have had a really bewildered expression on her face, because he smiled apologetically and stepped towards the exit.

"Don't panic, now. My name is Rhinox, nice to meet you. And I think I'll leave the two of you alone for a little while. I'll tell the others you're awake."

When he was gone, Speedster let go of her chest plate and dropped to the floor.

"Beast mode, best mode, who cares? The point is, it's pretty cool! You have one too, Mom, but yours is different than mine. I'm a bat, and you're a weasel."

"I'm a weasel?"

"Yah. Come on, try transforming. Say 'beast mode'."

"Well... beast mode."

A moment later the weasel stared at her organic paws.

"Right. I'm a weasel. What the Pit has happened to us? Where are we?"

"On Prehistoric Earth."

"What?"

"Well, remember when they fired at us just as Flint was trying to make a transwarp jump?"

"Yes. Speaking of which, where IS Flint?"

The bat's big ears flattened.

"He didn't make it."

"Oh..."

They were silent for a little while. They hadn't known their pilot well, but his death was still a tragedy.

"So", Speedster continued eventually, "just as the Maximals hit us we fell trough some kind of time anomaly and crashed here. But you know what? We found them! This is the Axalon! They battled the 'bots who stole the Golden Disk, and both ships were damaged, and they all ended up here."

"We... We found them? And Speedway?"

"Well... He's here all right. But I haven't seen him ever since I told him who I was. And he's not called Speedway anymore. Now he's known as..."

He was interrupted by a loud argument in the corridor outside.

"Rattrap, stop! Give her some time to..." a voice said.

The door opened and a metallic rat on wheels zoomed into the room, followed by the big green robot and several others. He skidded to a halt in front of Astera.

"I dunno who ya are an' where ya came from but what ya've been tellin' this kid is pure slag! I ain't nobody's daddy!"

She drew away at this outburst, then took a closer look. He looked really different from what she remembered...

"Speedway?"

"No, it's Rattrap now. An' I'd like to know YER name!"

"Astera."

"Never heard it."

"No. You know me as Vortex. It was my... artistic pseudonym."

Realization flickered across his optics.

"Ye're a... dancer or somethin'? That would explain how we might've met. But it still doesn't explain why ya're after me."

"I told you." Speedster's rather bored voice sounded from the ceiling where he was currently hanging upside down. "You're my father."

"You got it wrong, kid!"

"No, he hasn't got it wrong! Rattle your rusty memory banks, will you? I was a dancer at Carabine's place. One night after my performance you offered to buy me a drink. You looked like crap so I took pity on you and accepted.

_"What's wrong, Hon? Broken spark? Your girlfriend dumped you?"_

_"Neah. It ain't love. Never had a problem with dat."_

_"What is it then?"_

_"Life. One of my buddies was shot tonight."_

_"Sorry."_

_"Yeah. He was a good guy but we both got ourselves into some ugly business. He just wasn' lucky tonight. Might be me next time. The way things are goin', we're all gonna die."_

_"Optimistic, aren't you? Don't worry, it's gonna look better in the morning. It's just street life, that's how it goes."_

_He leaned forward and looked her in the optics._

_"Listen, I've been here a while and I'm tellin' ya, the street ain't no good ta live on. You get used but it ain't no good._

_So tomorrow's the day this 'bot begins a new life. Ya be smart and do the same. Don't forget what I said."_

"I only intended to give you five nanos, and we ended up talking the whole night. Well, er, most of it anyway. And I didn't forget. How could I, especially since you left me a reminder?" She nodded towards the ceiling. "And I DID get off the streets. As did you, I see. So how's the new life, Speedway?"

Rattrap gulped.

"I think we need ta talk somewhere more private."

_____________________________________________________

"Dey shot at ya just because ya wanted ta leave da planet? Dat's crazy!"

"Yes. Things are not going well on Cybertron. My ex-partner, the 'bot Speedster used to know as his father, was recently killed by policebots. They said he was involved in some Predacon conspiracy."

"Was he?"

"I don't know. We've been separated for a long time. But I don't think so. The truth is, Cybertron is on the verge of a civil war. I'm a Predacon, I was scared. No one trusts Predacons these days. And I was mostly worried about my son. I thought... Well, it sounds stupid now but I thought if I managed to find you, maybe you could protect him."

Even as she said that she knew that she actually wanted to say 'us'. In the past stellar cycles the need not to feel alone had constantly tried to win over her common sense. She hadn't allowed it to so far, but she was starting to get tired of being a strong independent Predacon femme. Why the Pit shouldn't she get a little help for a change?

Short silence followed. He glanced at her sideways.

"Ye're sure he's mine?"

"Yes."

"Why didn't ya tell me earlier then?"

"I... Well, it was just one night in a bar. Didn't think you'd care."

Rattrap's eyes narrowed in anger.

"Didn't think I'd care. Right. An' what made ya think I'd care now, huh?"

She shrugged.

"I don't have anyone else to turn to. You seemed like a nice guy. I didn't think you'd refuse to help if I really needed it. And you didn't seem prejudiced against Predacons."

"Eh... Sure." he shifted. "All dat's irrelevant now. Sorry ta be da one ta tell ya but you've jumped from one war right into the middle of another. An' I... I need some time ta deal with all dis."

He quickly got up and exited Astera's new quarters, leaving her to stare indignantly after him.

In the corridor he bumped into someone.

"Watch it, vermin!"

He looked up.

"Oh, just what I needed! Yet another Pred! Dis base is fillin' with dem! Can't decide which is worse. I don' have a kid from you I don' know of, right? But den again, _she_ hasn' given any Golden disks to Megatron yet. So I really donno which of you is worse."

Dinobot growled. Rattrap ignored him and disappeared behind the corner. The raptor turned at the sound of a door quietly closing up the corridor the rat had come from.

___________________________________________

"I should have learned by now." Astera sighed, closing the door.

___________________________________________


	2. Chapter 2

"This isn't good." Optimus sighed several days later.

"What isn't, Big Bot? We haven't had any trouble with the neighbors for quite a while now!"

"It's not that simple, Cheetor. Predacons not attacking usually means they're up to something big and nasty." Rhinox pointed out. "And now when Megatron has the disk..."

"It's not just that." Optimus said frowning. "You know how Dinobot keeps talking about honor. Now that he has betrayed both sides at least once..."

"Aw, come on, Big Bot, don't be hard on him!"

"That's not what I meant, Cheetor. To me, he has just made a mistake. I'm sure even Rattrap will get over it after a while. But I'm not so sure about Dinobot himself."

"What are you saying?"

"I don't know exactly. And then there's Rattrap. He constantly picks fights with Dinobot and he avoids Astera and Speedster like he's trying to pretend they don't even exist."

"You're not the only one who's noticed," a voice said.

Astera and Speedster entered the control room.

Rhinox patted the robot child's shoulder.

"Don't take it personally, my young friend. Rattrap is a good 'bot. He's just a little overwhelmed right now.

Speedster shrugged.

"It's OK. Hey, what are you working on? Can I help?"

Rhinox looked at the device in his hands.

"You know anything about communication systems?"

"Do I know anything? I'll bet you I'm the best young technician on this whole planet! What? I really AM good!" he smirked while the others laughed. "Mom says I have a gift. Well, actually, she says it's 40% a gift and 60% sheer enthusiasm. The thing is, it gives results. I was the one who repaired 'Stardancer'. She was good for nothing when we bought her."

"All right then, come and help me." Rhinox said still laughing.

"What a mess." Astera sighed while watching her son and the Axalon's technician happily occupy themselves with the prototype of an improved communication device.

"I knew seeking his real father out might be a mistake but I never thought I would end up in this much trouble. Are you _sure_ my ship is no good?"

Optimus shook his head.

"I'm afraid so. The best we can do with it is use it for spare parts. Unfortunately, I don't even think there's enough there to make the Axalon fly."

"No way!" Speedster shouted from across the room. "You're not taking 'Dancer' apart! I can fix her!"

"I'm sorry but I don't think that's possible." Optimus said mildly. "And even if it was, you can't reach the ship right now, it's too dangerous. Neither you nor your mother can fight and I think you shouldn't try to leave the base for now."

"What if someone comes with us to guard us?"

"It's not the best time for that. We are waiting for Megatron to make his move... Speaking of which..." he turned back to Astera. "We're at war here. And no one has anything against you being a Predacon but..."

"I have to choose a side in this war?"

"It will be necessary."

"All right. Listen to me carefully, Optimus. I will not side with Megatron because I will not side with criminals. I've had enough of this kind of stuff in my life. This does not mean I'm suddenly a Maximal. I don't have any fighting skills that might be of any use to you anyway. But even if I face Megatron in battle some day, I will still be a Predacon."

Optimus nodded.

"I understand."

________________________________________

In the control room of the Axalon the same quiet argument had been going on for several days now. One of the participants was at the end of her patience, but the other one had proven to be unbelievably persistent.

"Mom, I can fix the ship."

"Speedster, will you stop already? You're not fixing the ship!"

"Mom, I can fix it."

"We can't even get there. Do you even realize what situation we're in?"

"Yes, we're stranded at the end of the world, and we want to get outta here. Mom, I can do it."

"Have you thought that we might get killed before we even reach the ship?"

"We'll ask someone to come with us and protect us. Did I mention I can fix the ship?"

Astera sighed in exasperation.

"Fine. If you can get someone to come with us, we'll go. But I doubt it."

"Great. Hey, um, Rattrap!" he called across the room.

The rat-bot turned.

"Huh?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Eh, sure... Hey, you've stopped callin' me 'dad'."

"Yah. I thought you didn't like it."

"Eh... Kid, I have nothin' against you, I just..."

"Fine. Just wanted to ask if you would come with me and mom back to our ship so I can fix it. It won't take long and then we can all leave here."

"Temptin'. But I thought Rhinox said that ship ain't goin' nowhere."

"I did." Rhinox nodded. "From what I've seen, there's nothing I can do to repair it. But this young fellow seems to be convinced otherwise. And I must say he IS a rather gifted mechanic. But personally I still don't think he'll manage the task."

Rattrap frowned.

"If Rhinox says it ain't gonna work, it ain't gonna work. We can't go wastin' our time and riskin' our skins for nuthin'. Sorry, kid, find yerself somethin' else to do." He turned back to his computer game.

Astera shot him a dark look. Not because he had refused, she could understand that. But he was treating her son with complete disregard. And she knew if anyone had a chance of fixing 'Dancer', it was Speedster.

"I will go," came suddenly from the corner.

Everyone turned to stare at Dinobot. Speedster looked around a little confused by their reaction. Then shrugged and beamed.

"Thanks, Dinobot! Then we're going, right, mom?"

"Well..."

"Of course ye're not!" Rattrap shouted.

Astera's eyes narrowed.

"Yes. We are. This might be our last chance before Megatron gets his hands on the ship."

"Ye're kiddin'!" Rattrap protested. "You can't go riskin' your lives fer that piece of junk that's never gonna fly again!"

Astera put her fists on her hips.

"We _can't_? May I ask why?"

"Because... Well, because... Well, Lizard-breath's goin' nowhere with my kid!"

"Oh, so now he's your kid," Astera said quietly.

Rattrap recoiled and looked around for help.

"Optimus, tell her she's crazy!"

"I won't force anyone to do or not do anything. Although I do think this is an ill-measured risk."

"We're going tomorrow." Astera said decisively and exited the room followed by a very happy Speedster. Dinobot followed shortly after.

"Rattrap, I think you slightly overdid it." Optimus commented softly.

'Eh, yeah, maybe I did.' the metallic rat thought. 'But ain't she stubborn! Still, she was right to get angry at me. Looks like I'll have ta talk to dat girl...'

______________________________________

"Astera! Astera, wait!" he caught up with her.

"What do you want?"

"Hey, don' snap at me like dat! Jus' tryin' ta help here!"

"We have different ideas of help then."

"Why are ya doin' dis? Just 'cuz ye're mad at me? The kid can't fix a spaceship!"

She stopped and spun around to face him.

" 'The kid' is my son. He has a name. And how do YOU know what he can or can't do?"

"Hey, it ain't my fault ya never told me he even existed!"

"From what I'm seeing, he's lucky I never did!"

Turning around, Astera strode down the corridor.

"Sheesh." Rattrap murmured angrily. "What did I ever see in her?"

"She's pretty," came a voice from the ceiling.

The rat jumped a foot high with a yelp.

"Slag it, kid! Eh... I mean, Speedster. Don' go scarin' 'bots like dat! How long have ya been up dere? I'll tell yer mother ya listen in on other 'bots' conversations!"

Speedster shrugged.

"It's not like I sneaked into your room. You were talking in a corridor, anyone could have heard. And it wasn't much of a conversation either. It was only slightly better than what you usually have with Dinobot. Which reminds me, why do you keep being rude to each other?"

"Huh. What do ya think?"

"Dunno. At first I thought you didn't like each other but that doesn't explain why you both look like all your ships have crashed after every time you actually insult each other."

"What? Ya got it wrong. If Scale-belly an' me got offended every time we called each other names..."

"That's not what I meant. I said 'every time you _actually_ insulted each other'. There's a difference. For example, I saw Dinobot leave the base a while ago. I could tell right away he had just had a real argument with you."

"Eh, what gave it away? Da murderous look on his face?"

"No. The gloomy contemplating look on his face. I've seen him like this several times before and it gives me the idea that he might actually be _considering_ some of the things you say. Scary."

"Eh... Well, we... Oh, will ya get down from dere? My neck's startin' to hurt!"  
"Nah. I like it here. It's safely out of reach of angry bots." He smirked a bit saying that, and Rattrap felt the corners of his mouth twitching in response. "All right. Just be careful not to startle Chopperface like ya did me, ya might not survive _dat_. He's so paranoid he'd shoot ya on da spot."  
"You're doing it again."

"What?"  
"Being bitter about Dinobot. And he's not even here."

Rattrap stuttered, trying to form some coherent response, and gave up with an impatient wave of a hand and a sigh. "Whatever. See ya around, kid."  
"Yeah," Speedster murmured, his ears dropping. "See ya".


End file.
